Abstract

Correlated pairs of photons generated in nonlinear type-II spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC) can be used to develop a new approach for directly measuring the group-velocity difference between two orthogonally polarized wave packets propagating inside optical materials or fibers with femtosecond time resolution. This technique can be used to improve the accuracy of polarization-mode-dispersion measurement in single-mode and high-birefringence fibers, fiber sensors, and birefringent materials, including nonlinear crystals, waveguides, Pockels cells, and Faraday rotators, in the visible and IR spectra.

© 1995 Optical Society of America